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Surfing world mourns the loss of MP

A funeral for Australian surfing legend Michael Peterson will be held at Tweed Heads next week.

The 59-year-old died of a heart attack yesterday.

He won the prestigious Bells Beach contest three years in a row in the mid-70s and next month's event will be dedicated to his memory.

Surfing commentator Andy McKinnon says a recent meeting with MP left some predicting his time had come.

"We were really lucky to be able to go around there about four weeks ago and have a little reunion with Rabbit and PT, and Larry Bertleman from Hawaii was with us and he was called Hawaii's Peterson," he said.

"And after we left Larry said 'I don't think we're going to see him again', and it was so prophetic.

"The thing about MP is he...has this cult-like following.

"He was definitely a one-off and you know illness had really played a part in stopping him surfing in his latter years.

"He was so dominant in the contest scene in 1974.

"He won every single event he went in, that was apart from the regional Gold Coast title that his younger brother Tommie Peterson won, but every other major event that went on in Australia in 1974 was won by Michael Peterson.

"(This is) a very sad day in the surfing community," Mr McKinnon said.